Six-year-old Boitumelo Matsekoleng, who died in Polokwane hospital in Limpopo due to the injuries she sustained after being raped, has been laid to rest.
The funeral service was held in Serageng village outside Marble Hall.
MECs Nkakareng Rakgoale for Social Development, Dickson Masemola for Community Safety, and Polly Boshielo for Education were among the mourners.
Learners at Baithudi Mohlahledi primary school, which the Grade R child attended, comforted the family with hymns. Some of the relatives were inconsolable.
Speakers have described Boitumelo Matsekoleng’s death as brutal and unacceptable. The six-year-old succumbed to injuries on Tuesday after being in the Polokwane Hospital’s Intensive care unit for two weeks.
Family spokesperson Ntapane Matsekoleng says it will take time for them to heal.
“We have really, actually we have agreed that it happens and it never changed. It shows clear that everyone was so hurt. But then one on one you can just realise that they have agreed that it happened and we will never change anything. I think it’s gonna just depend on the time when it goes on,” says Matsekoleng.
Teachers at Baithudi Mohlahledi have described Boitumelo as a bright child. They say the loss has affected other learners.
“It’s truly tragic what happened to her, the whole school has felt really remorseful and you know, we have been reflecting on this last week on what happened. But as a learner she was just an outstanding student. She was very active in her class, and always wanted to be the one to come and grab pencils to pass out. We have felt the loss of our learner, even our learners in class, when you are teaching you can see in their eyes that they are very sad. It’s unbearable,” says Mohlahledi.
MEC Masemola, says the man charged with the rape and murder of Boitumelo and another child aged three in separate incidents, could have committed similar crimes in KwaZulu-Natal.
Masemola says they have received information that the 35-year-old suspect Charlie Moswathupa, is wanted in KwaZula Natal.
“I got an indication that apparently this man has been in hiding somewhere in KZN, and most probably, there is another crime that he has committed in that part of the country, and therefore we will be linking up with the leadership of our counterparts in that province to find out more and go deeper into this matter that has been brought to our attention,” says Masemola.
Boshielo, has expressed concern on the escalating incidents of violence against children. She has appealed to men to take action.
“We are tired, we can’t even cry anymore. We are asking the Department of community safety and also men, to stand up and say not in our name. Women we have tried our best, we have marched we have signed petitions, we have done everything. So I think it’s high time that our men protect us. They must stand up, traditional leaders, pastors, everybody must stand up and say not in our name. You can’t look at a grade 1 learner and see a woman,” says Boshielo.
Meanwhile, the suspect will appear in the Nebo Magistrate’s Court on December the third in connection with Boitumelo’s murder.
